under the meek semblance of a spiritual character. Taken together, these two symbols speak as plainly, as symbolic terms can speak, That Antichrist was to be a religious person, acting in the spirit of a secular tyrant. So exactly is he characterized by the poet Mantuan, addressing himself to one of the popes Ense potens gemino, cujus vestigia adorant On the whole, I leave it to be considered, whether, when the prophecies pronounce of Antichrist, that he should be, a power diverse from all othersthat he should sit in the temple of God and that he should have the horns of a Lamb-I leave it, I say, to your consideration, whether it be not plain that this extraordinary power, a Roman power, and residing at Rome, was to be a Christian and Ecclesiastical, and not a Pagan and Civil power. IV. Another obvious character of Antichrist, or rather, complication of characters, is that triple brand, impressed upon him, of a tyrannical, intolerant, and idolatrous, power. The prophets hold him up to us, as reigning, or exercising an oppressive and supereminent dominion, over the kings of the earth, that is, of the western empire;* as making war with the Lamb, and the saints who receive not his mark in their foreheads, that is, persecuting good and conscientious Christians, who refuse to wear the badge of Antichrist, and to serve under him; and, as another Babylon, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, that is, as polluted himself with the grossest idolatry, and as corrupting the nations with the same profane worship. But these marks, it will be said, have been found upon so many powers, which have appeared in the world, that they cannot be given as the distinctive marks of one, that is, of the Papal power. Nay, the bishop of Meaux goes further, and attempts to shew, by a very refined argument, that the very terms of whoredom and fornication, in which the last of these marks, I mean, IDOLATRY, is set forth by the prophet in the book of Revelations, make it impossible for us to apply that mark to Rome Christian. Let us see, then, first, what force there is in the criticism of this learned prelate. *Dan. vii. 8. 20. Rev. xvii. 1. 16, 17. † Dan. vii. 21. Rev. xvii. 14. ; xiii. 7. 16. + Rev. xvii. 5. That whoredom, or fornication, in the language of scripture, means idolatry, is agreed on all hands, and cannot be disputed: Whether the figurative use of this term arose from observing,how constantly that pollution attended idolatrous worship; or how fitly a communication with false gods may be compared with that unlawful commerce: Whatever be the ground of the analogy, it is clear to a demonstration that whoredom is but another name for idolatry, which, under this idea, is very frequently charged upon the Jews by the ancient prophets. Sometimes, however, (without doubt, to ag gravate the charge) the idolatry of the Jews is considered in the light of adultery, that is, of infidelity to the God of Israel; to whom, as to her proper Lord and Husband, the Jewish nation had, by express stipulation, and in the most solemn manner, contracted herself. But, notwithstanding this promiscuous application of the terms, fornication, and adultery, to the idolatry of the Jews in the ancient prophecies, it hath been remarked by the bishop of Meaux, "That Babylon, or Rome, in the Revelations, is constantly and uniformly spoken of, as a whore, and not as an adulteress: whence he concludes, that this charge is brought against Pagan Rome only, and not Christian Rome. For, why, he asks, is so much care taken not to impute adultery to idolatrous Rome, if it had been a Christian city? when its polluting itself with this crime, contrary to the most express engagements, which Christians take upon themselves, of fidelity to the only true God, might justly deserve, and, in propriety, may seem may seem to require, this opprobrious charge, rather than that other lighter one of fornication whereas, if Pagan Rome be here meant, its idolatry could only be set forth under the idea of fornication, and not of adultery."* Now, although, as I observed, the idolatrous Jews are frequently treated by their prophets, as * Le saint apotre a bien pris garde de ne pas nommer la prostituee, dont il parle, une adultere, μοιχάδα, μοιχαλίδα, mais une femme publique-sans jamais avoir employe le mot d'adultere; tant il etoit attentif a eviter l'idee d'une epouse infidelle.-Loin de marquer la Prostituee, comme une Eglize corrumpue, nous avons montre clairement qu'il a pris des idees toutes contraires a celles-la, puis qu'au lieu de produire une Jerusalem infidelle, ou du moins une Samarie, autrefois partie du peuple saint, comme il auroit fait s'il avoit voulu nous representer une eglise corrompue, il nous propose une Babylone, qui jamais n'a ete nommee dans l'alliance de Dieu. Nous avons aussi remarque qu'il n'avoit jamais donne a la Prostituee le titre d'epouse infidelle ou repudiee: mais que par tout il s'etoit servi du terme de fornication, et de tous ceux qui revenoient au meme sens. Je scais que ces mots se confondent quelquefois avec celui d'adultere, mais le fort du raisonnement consiste en ce que de propos delibere Saint Jean evite toujours ce dernier mot qui marqueroit la foi violee, le marriage souille, et l'alliance rompue, &c.—L'Apocalypse avec une Explication; par Messire Jaques Benigne Bossuet, Eveque de Meaux. PREF. 26, 29. ADVERTISEMENT, p. 321323. Par. 1690, 12o. fornicators, as well as adulterers, nay, are much more frequently* represented under the former idea, than the latter; and although it be therefore true, that fornication is not necessarily, and exclusively, to be understood of Pagan idolatry, but may well be applied to Christian idolaters, as it was to the Jewish; yet the force of the learned objector's argument will not be obviated by this observation only. For the stress of it lies in this, "That the idolatry of Rome in the Revelations is every where, that is, purposely, termed fornication (to insinuate to us, that the charge is directed against a Pagan city, and not a Christian church,) and no where, that is, purposely again, called adultery." The objection is extremely ingenious; and, so far as I know, hath been, hitherto, unanswered. Yet, if any good reason can be assigned why the prophet should thus studiously prefer the term, fornication, to that of adultery, in describing the idolatry of Christian Rome, notwithstanding those terms be used indifferently by the Jewish prophets, when * The reason I take to be, That fornication, that is, vague lust, and general prostitution, served best to express the unbridled and indiscriminate passion of the Jews for the demon-worship of their neighbours: Whereas the crime of adultery, though of a blacker die, and, in that view, more proper to expose the malignity of their offence, does not convey the same ideas of universal pollution, being usually committed, because it is so criminal, with more distinction and restraint. |